Inevitable
by whatareyou
Summary: What if things didn't happen exactly the way Sookie thought all of those years ago? Now her life has been shattered all over again with danger once more lurking on the horizon. Will there be someone from the past who can help her get through this latest crisis? Set several years after the True Blood finale.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Thanks for giving this story a shot! Not one hundred percent sure where this is heading, aside from something to wipe away the awful taste of the True Blood finale. This idea has been floating around in my head since the finale aired, since I couldn't believe that Bill was really gone... thanks to a little extra push of inspiration from a new show, I decided to get writing. I hope you enjoy! (and don't worry, my other story won't be abandoned, I just have to find more time to write!)**

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><p>***Disclaimer*** No copyright infringement intended. These characters are exclusive property of Charlaine Harris, Alan Ball and HBO.<p>

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><p>Inevitable<p>

Sookie was numb, she had to be to get through the day and she always felt like this by the time she climbed into bed. She wasn't even sure how many months had gone by as everything was just a blur of her trying to put one foot in front of the other. It was all she could do to keep her rambunctious toddlers happy and under control while they tried to comprehend why their life had suddenly changed so much. Adele, who was almost four, was having the hardest time. Every time her sweet little voice asked Sookie where daddy was, it was like a knife in Sookie's heart. They'd tried the children's books on loss, Sookie had explained, Sam had explained, Jason had done his best to help the little girl understand, but she just wasn't ready to accept what had happened.

Not that Sookie could blame her, it was still hard for Sookie to really believe he was gone. She'd done this too many times, she'd lost too many of the people she loved. Sookie knew that if it weren't for her kids, she wouldn't have been able to go on, not again. A flash of pain in the center of Sookie's chest had her gasping for breath, as the faces of two men she'd loved with her whole heart and who were now both lost to her filled the space behind her closed lids. Bill didn't cross her mind quite as much anymore, though a piece of him was always with her. She couldn't not think of him in the last few months. She had moments where she felt like she was betraying her husband by thinking of Bill, but it just hurt so much sometimes that she couldn't always separate her grief. All she felt was pain, pain and loneliness. It had taken her years to come to terms with Bill's death, before she'd been ready to even think about living the life he'd sacrificed himself for her to have. She had finally done it and found a wonderful man to build a life with, but that life was over. She didn't have years to grieve this time, she couldn't slip into the fog she'd lived in after Bill had died. She had two perfect angels that depended on her and the greater challenge of bringing a new baby into this world without her husband's support.

She'd been so happy when she'd taken that last pregnancy test. They'd been debating if they were ready for another baby, both wanting to continue to expand their family but not quite agreed on the timing. Sookie didn't want to wait, and in the end, the decision was made for them when Sookie started feeling a bit queasy in the mornings... when the smell of biscuits and sausage cooking made her vomit instead of salivate. She hadn't told him when she first started getting suspicious. She'd wanted it to be a surprise, so she took the test while he was at work. Once she had the positive test in hand, she started planning.

Jason and Brigette had taken the kids for the night and Sookie cooked the same dinner she'd made the night they'd found out she was pregnant with Adele. It was a wonderful night, some romantic time alone to celebrate their happy news. If only Sookie had known that her happiness was going to be so short lived... Just three days later she was opening the door to a very somber Andy and Jason, bringing her the news of the freak traffic accident that had taken the life of her husband. An accident that had taken away her happy and normal life. She didn't believe them at first, she couldn't believe them. She'd slammed the door in their faces and found the kids. Adele was playing and Charlie was napping. She didn't care about waking him, she just needed to hold them both, to pretend that what Andy had said was a lie, that it was just a bad dream. She couldn't bear the loss of someone else, it was just too much.

Jason had found her there, huddled against the wall in her childhood bedroom, the room that now belonged to little Adele. Tears ran down her face as her children wriggled, not understanding why mommy was holding them so tight. From there, she did her best to just keep going. The outpouring of support from the town had helped, her freezer had been filled with casseroles, the kids had plenty of offers for short outings to give Sookie a break and try and cheer up the two children who couldn't quite understand what had happened to their daddy.

Sookie was glad that Sam and Nicole had made the decision to move back to Bon Temps a few years ago. Especially now, Sam was a rock of steady support. She'd missed his friendship when they'd been gone and double dating with them had been something that Sookie often looked forward to. The children also had become fast friends, and Sookie knew they were friendships that would last a lifetime. With hepatitis V all but eradicated, life in Bon Temps had settled back into that normal small town rhythm. Andy had earned that safe streets plaque more years than Sookie could say, and all of the strange and dangerous happenings had just sort of stopped.

Sookie's life may have been what some considered boring, but she had been happy, she didn't know if she was ever going to feel that way again. Her children always brought smiles to her face, but those moments of happiness felt so fleeting when she was alone in that big bed at the end of the day like this. She knew she'd have to start telling more people about the baby soon, since it was going to be hard to hide in a month or two, but she didn't want to. Instead of congratulations and happiness, she knew she'd only receive more pity, which was the last thing she wanted. Pregnancy made it harder for her to block out people's thoughts...something about the hormones, but in the past those thoughts were usually pleasant ones. She wasn't sure what to expect this time, and already she'd overheard more than she cared to.

There had been times when she'd wondered if her decision to keep her powers had been the right one. It had caused more than one disagreement with her husband, since sometimes she just couldn't help hearing things... She'd almost thrown them away on a particularly stressful night during her first pregnancy. Her emotions were already getting the best of her, and then a very innocent thought about the size of her pregnant belly had come across the dinner table and she'd lost it. Of course they had laughed about it later, and Sookie now smiled at the memory, but at the time, it had been a very rough night.

She reached for the tissues on the nightstand, a fresh flood of tears in her eyes as she realized that something like that would never happen again. There would be no laughter over a goofy misunderstanding. No admiring gazes across the dinner table... no one to hold her on those cold nights. Sookie couldn't do anything but cry when these thoughts got into her head, sometimes she wished she could block out her own thoughts.

After exhausting herself with her tears, Sookie fell into a restless sleep. She dreamt of dark haired men who kept vanishing from her life, no matter how hard she tried to hold on to them.

"Mama! Mama!" A sweet voice rang out and pulled Sookie from her sleep. Sun shone through the filmy curtains in the bedroom as a little blonde head got closer to the bed. "It's get up time! Get up time!"

Sookie smiled at her daughters enthusiasm for the morning. Like her mother, Adele loved sunny days. Sookie knew they would be spending today playing outside. If it was warm enough, maybe she'd even get out the sprinkler. Some of Sookie's best memories as a child were days spent running through the sprinkler in the yard... _maybe today will be an easier one to get through _she thought as she reached down and pulled Adele into the bed with her for a snuggle. She smelled her daughter's golden hair, so sweet and familiar. This is why Sookie had to toughen up, why she needed to keep moving forward.

"Did you wake up your brother on your way in?" Sookie asked as she heard wails of _Mamaaaa_ from down the hall. Adele had a bad habit of wanting to play with her baby brother much earlier in the morning than Sookie would like.

"No, I came right here." Her blue eyes looks so intently at Sookie as she shook her head in denial. "I know I'm not 'sposed to wake him, I promise."

"I guess he's just ready to get up and have some breakfast, too. What should we have today?" Sookie smiled, trying to ease the serious expression away from Adele's face. It always surprised Sookie just how much Adele could pick up on. More than once in the last few months Adele had come to her, offering hugs and kisses in moments when Sookie thought she was doing okay at hiding just how sad she was feeling.

"I want pancakes... can we have the ones with booberries?" She said excitedly, jumping down from the bed.

"The ones with _blue_berries sound perfect! Let's get Charlie and I'll make us pancakes. Then we can decide what to do today, I was thinking something outside."

"Charlie! Charlie, we're gonna have pancakes!" Just like that, Adele was off running down the hall. Sookie could hear her chattering about all of the things they could do today. Sookie decided right then that today was going to be a good day, no maybes about it.

xx

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><p>xx<p>

Sookie had been right about today, it was a good day. Well, mostly. Aside from a rough tumble outside, leaving Charlie with a nice scrape on his forehead, they'd had a wonderful day. They played outside, Adele squealing with delight as she ran through the cold water from the sprinkler.

Sookie had made them a picnic for lunch that Adele thought was the best thing ever. Charlie was having fun, too, doing his best to keep up with his big sister. At a year and a half old, he was just starting to really find his personality and Sookie loved it. He was blonde like Sookie and Jason had been, but unlike Adele, his eyes were dark with an intensity that reminded her so much of his father. Watching the children grow, Sookie had been fascinated to see just how funny genetics could be. Adele had looked like her father when she'd been born, but had slowly grown to resemble Sookie more and more. Her eyes were a bit of a mystery, since the blue came out of nowhere, but Sookie's grandmother, for whom Adele had been named, had blue eyes. Sookie knew genetics worked in strange ways, but she had noticed on more than one occasion that sometimes... Adele's eyes reminded Sookie very much of someone else.

Nicole had stopped by that afternoon, with an excuse about dropping off some extra vegetables from the garden, but Sookie knew she was really there to check on them. Sam had been tied up at the bar, otherwise he would have come too. Sookie still found some amusement in the partnership Sam and Arlene had formed over the bar. Arlene got to keep the name, but Sam had slowly been taking over more and more of the day to day running of the place. Especially with Arlene turning into quite the night owl thanks to her ongoing romance with a vampire. It still made Sookie shake her head after all of these years. Sookie was one of the few people in town who hadn't formed a lasting relationship with a vampire, what were the odds of that? Ten years ago, she'd never have believed that mainstreaming was going to really work in Bon Temps, but now, the vampires weren't treated any differently than anybody else and Sookie had seen relationships thrive between humans and vampires all around her.

Nicole had stayed awhile, her two children keeping Adele and Charlie occupied so Sookie could sit down and have a lemonade with Nicole. They talked about normal stuff, things happening in town, the kids, everything but how Sookie was doing. Sookie actually appreciated that. This was a visit that could have happened any time in the last couple of years, a visit that had happened many times. It made Sookie feel normal. That's why today had been such a nice day. It was normal. The routine wasn't exactly the same, since she was doing it all on her own, but it felt more like a regular day.

Sookie had just finished putting Adele to bed, reading her an extra story tonight because she had asked so sweetly. Charlie had gone down easily an hour before, reminding Sookie how blessed she was to have such a good sleeper. The day had been a good one, but now that night was settling in, she would soon be alone with her thoughts and her good day might be over.

She wasn't sure why she did it, but something drew Sookie towards the window after she'd given Adele her final kiss goodnight. She reached for the curtains, to pull them shut, but found herself scanning the yard and the edge of the tree line. She swore she saw something move right at the trees, but it happened so fast, she had to believe it was her imagination. She opened her mind but couldn't feel anything but the scattered thoughts of children.

"Mommy?" Adele said softly, pulling Sookie away from her focus out the window.

"Sorry, mommy was just closing your curtains. You go to sleep now, sweetheart. I'll see you in the morning." Sookie had quickly pulled the curtains the rest of the way shut and backed away from the window as she spoke. She sat down on the edge of Adele's bed one more time, hugging her again.

"Goodnight, Mommy."

"Goodnight, angel."

Sookie walked down the hall to her room, fighting the urge to go back to the windows. Had there really been someone or something lurking around her house in the moonlight? Was her mind playing tricks on her? She had a feeling that's all it was, some trick of the mind... but that didn't stop her from tip toeing downstairs to make sure all of the doors were locked tight.

She got ready for bed feeling just a bit uneasy, a little bit on edge. She'd been away from danger for a long time, but it didn't take much for the memories of everything that she'd been through to come to the surface and have her wondering just what else might happen next. It also reminded Sookie of how much she's survived, how much she'd fought. She was strong, she had to remember that.

She showered, hoping the warm water would help her relax, would calm her nerves just a little. She'd lost too much, but that didn't mean she was going to stop fighting. Not this time. As she turned off the taps, Sookie realized she felt better. She felt calm, she wasn't overwhelmed with sadness the way she sometimes was in the evenings, even her unease from the shadows in the yard had faded. She didn't think she'd ever quite feel like her normal self again, but tonight she felt just that much closer.

The next several days continued to be some of the best days Sookie'd had since that terrible day. She'd started back to work part time after Charlie's first birthday but now, she had some calculating to do for when she'd have to go to full time hours. It helped that she owned her house free and clear and there had been a generous life insurance settlement, but Sookie would have to pay attention to make sure they didn't end up in financial trouble. Before Adele was born, Sookie had gone back to school, well, technically, she'd gone to school online. She had gone through the proper training to become a realtor and found that it was a job she was quite good at.

The housing market had been improving, and with the hep V vampire threat eliminated, people were returning to the area. Her gift, she tried to think of it as a gift, had helped her some as a waitress but it was even more useful in finding out what people were really looking for in a home. Her boss had been quite disappointed when she'd gone on an extended maternity leave, but he had kept a job for her because he knew just how valuable she was as an employee. It made Sookie proud to have a job that she loved and was good at, and she knew she had been very lucky to find a company that was so flexible with time off and part time work.

It was another piece in that happy life she'd been leading, and hopefully would stay something that would keep what was left of this life together. Sookie knew that despite everything she'd lost, she did still have much to be thankful for, especially her children. They were her whole world, and she was going to give them the wonderful lives that they deserved.

Sookie had worked two days this week and found it easier than it had been the first couple of weeks she'd been back since the funeral. She could do this, one step after the next. She'd even surprised herself by agreeing to let Sam and Nicole take the kids for the evening. Their oldest was begging to see "the babies" and liked nothing more than helping take care of them. It had Sookie teasing Sam about when they were going to have another, earning her a lovely panicked look. Sam and Nicole were some of the few people that knew about Sookie's pregnancy, and while they were happy for her, even with the circumstances, they both had agreed that two children were plenty for them.

Sookie had been keeping the children close, not liking them to be away from her for any extended time, but today it seemed like it might be okay. She had been off today, so they'd spent the day playing. She had dropped off two bathed children, who would no doubt be filthy by the time Sam brought them home, along with a bag of favorite toys and other necessities just after four o'clock. She'd been tempted to stay for dinner when they asked, but instead, Sookie decided she would be bold and venture home to her empty house. She thought she might get some chores done, take a nice long bath... take some time for herself. Sam was right, she could use a little break tonight.

Sookie arrived home and did just those things. Well, maybe she was a little light on the chores, but she only had so much time before her night would be over. She made that bath a priority and somehow managed to keep her mind away from the things that would make her heartbreak come roaring to the surface. Instead she thought about how her body was feeling as she relaxed into the warm tub. She thought about Adele and Charlie. She thought about the life she carried inside her and what he or she might look like. She just felt calm, as though she had nothing to worry about for these short moments.

Unfortunately, any calm that Sookie was feeling, any amount of stability that she was beginning to find in this new world of hers was shaken shortly after her bath when she heard a knock at her front door. Sookie was immediately back at that day, the knock on the door, Andy and Jason in uniform, bearing bad news.

She nearly dropped the mug of tea she was holding, managing to set it clumsily on the counter. She tried to reassure herself, this wasn't anything. A delivery, someone lost, someone stopping by to chat. Jessica did that sometimes, though come to think of it, it had been awhile. Her kids were fine and that was all that mattered to Sookie. Sam would have called if something had happened.

She walked to the door, trying to calm her breathing and her racing heart. She pulled back the curtain and couldn't breathe. She couldn't move, _it can't be_, her mind was filled with disbelief , screaming in her head. _Impossible, it has to be a trick_.

She let the curtain fall, closing her eyes tightly even though she could feel the tears burning in them. She was imagining things, it couldn't be, not after all this time, not after what she'd seen. She was shaking, overwhelmed with emotions and fear. This wasn't right, she didn't know what to do. It had to be a dream, a hallucination... everything that had happened had finally broken her and now she was losing her mind.

"Sookie?" That familiar voice said, that impossible can't exist voice. Bill's voice.


	2. Chapter 2

***Disclaimer*** No copyright infringement intended. These characters are exclusive property of Charlaine Harris, Alan Ball and HBO.

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><p>Bill knew this was going to go badly, there was no way that this could be easy in any sense. If he had a choice, it wouldn't be happening in the first place, but like always seemed to happen when it came to Sookie, his hand was forced.<p>

He could still feel her no matter what his body went through. Since that final time she had taken his blood, he'd been unable to break the connection between them. It was nothing more than an echo when he was away, but now that he was here... with just a door separating them, he could feel everything. Right now, she was afraid and confused, she was hurting and Bill knew it was all his fault.

"Sookie, please. I know my appearance here is shocking and difficult to believe... but I can explain, I swear it." He paused, struggling to come up with what else to say. She was never going to open the door, she wasn't going to be able to accept this. He put a hand on the door, almost as if he could feel her leaning against it. "I'm sorry, Sookie. I wish this wasn't happening, I know it's upsetting you... but I have no choice. We need to talk."

He waited, able to hear her breath hitch in quiet sobs on the other side of the door. Bill had spent years dreaming of this moment, knowing that it could never come, and now that it was here, his guilt weighed even heavier. He had tried to do it for her, to set her free, to let her live the life she'd deserved. That's what had kept him away, knowing that she was happy, that she'd found love and had children. That she was living the life in the sunlight that he could never give her. He had been forced to come here, to see her and he'd known it was going to be traumatic. What Bill hadn't known until he'd arrived several days ago was that his arrival was going to add to an even greater trauma that Sookie was already dealing with.

The happy life he'd wanted for her, that she'd wanted, had been shattered, and now he was coming in and making it even worse. He'd been debating for days on how to approach her, knowing that no matter what, it was going to hurt her. He had talked with Jessica about it, after a very long and angry tirade from her about his death... one that he knew he deserved. She had been the one to suggest that he needed to find a time when Sookie was alone, and even went as far as to talk to Sam about giving Sookie some time to herself tonight.

Bill wasn't ready for anyone else to know that he was back, not before he could talk to Sookie about it, so Jessica's help was invaluable. He knew he had let her down by letting her think he was dead all these years, but Bill didn't know what else to do. His resurrection had been just as surprising for him and disappearing seemed like the best option for everyone. The few updates he had received over the years confirmed the wisdom of his decision... until now.

Bill was at a loss, Sookie remained silent, the door still tightly closed. He was there for a somewhat urgent matter, but he knew there would be no rushing this. She would still be safe, so he gave her the out that he could in this moment.

"Sookie," He said, his voice low as he tried to push aside his own feelings, his pain. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I wouldn't be here if this weren't important, please believe me. The last thing I've ever wanted is to hurt you, but I know I have failed in that task over and over again." He could feel the tear tracking down his cheek, knowing that he had no right to be hurting, not after everything. "It is imperative that we speak, I implore you... please consider it. I will be staying with Jessica. You can find me there when you are ready, or call her and I will come back."

Bill paused, struggling to turn away from her, to walk away without seeing her for more than that fleeting glimpse when she'd pulled back the curtain to see who had come calling. He needed her, he'd never been able to deny that... but staying away had been what was best. It was much easier to put his need for her aside when he was thousands of miles away, but knowing that she was mere inches from him... it was torture.

"Goodnight, Sookie." He finally formed the words, taking a step back and another, turning and walking down the steps. About halfway across the yard towards the cemetery, Bill found himself pausing, glancing over his shoulder at Sookie's house. He could have sworn he saw the curtain move but there was no other sign that Sookie had heard a single word he'd said.

He turned again and continued on his way down that familiar path between their houses. It had been a very long time since he'd walked this path... a path that he figured he'd never walk again, at least not until long after Sookie had left this earth. That was his plan, anyway, once he had determined that he wouldn't be meeting the true death... he would stay away until after Sookie's life had been lived, and maybe even past that. Bill figured he might return this way someday, maybe to see Jessica... to see his home town, to say one more goodbye to Sookie once she joined the rest of the people he'd loved in this cemetery. He certainly hadn't expected he would be needed here, that for some reason he would be the only one who could save her... he still didn't know if he quite believed that piece of the puzzle that had brought him back to Bon Temps, but he wasn't going to take any chances when it came to Sookie's life.

He could see the lights still on at his old house as he approached, he really did think of it as no longer his. It was Jessica's house now, and would be as long as she wanted to live there. Bill was glad for the changing politics around vampires that had allowed Jessica to take full ownership of the house, that as a vampire, she had just as many rights as any other. She was happy, her and Hoyt had made a real go of their life together and Bill was so proud of the person she had become. He'd always been proud of her, but knowing how she had flourished after he was gone was something he had been very happy to see.

With his visit to Sookie not going anywhere, all Bill could do now was wait... wait and hope that his return wasn't going to destroy all of the happiness that had been filling the lives of the people he had left behind. As he headed for the porch, he was assaulted with memories, his wife and children waiting for him to return from war... Sookie on the porch in his arms, happy and in love... comforting Jessica after their home had been vandalized. So many things had happened, so many emotions. Bill did his best to push it all aside. It was the past, a past that was already written and couldn't be undone. He needed to focus instead on the future.

He didn't make it far into the house before Jessica found him, coming out of what used to be his office. A room that she and Hoyt had turned into an entertainment room of sorts.

"Bill, you're back already?" She stopped short when she took a good look at him. "It went that badly, huh?"

"About as well as I expected. She didn't even open the door. I knew there was no easy way to do this, she's hurting and all I've done is hurt her more." He tried to shrug his shoulder, to sound matter of fact.

"You're hurting, too." Jessica said, her face so filled with sympathy. She reached a hand up to touch his cheek, pulling her thumb away to show him the smear of blood that had run down his cheek.

He reached for her hands, cradling them in his own. "It's nothing. The pain I've caused Sookie, the pain I've caused you is far worse than anything I could feel."

"You always have to do that, don't you." Jessica's words grew louder, she pulled her hands away from him abruptly, anger lacing her voice. "You have to be the hero, the one who carries all the guilt for everything bad that's ever happened but you can't see the bad things that have been done to you. You're allowed to be hurt too, Bill. I might still be pissed at you for the past eight years, but you can't tell me that it was easy for you to walk away."

"Believe me, Jessica, there was nothing more I wanted to do than come home, to be with you... to be with Sookie. But it wouldn't have been fair. It's still not fair that I came back at all."

"Well, you did come back... and from what you've said, it's a damn good thing you came back. Sookie will come around, I'm sure she just needs some time." Jessica's anger cooled quickly as she shifted their conversation back to the issue of tonight. Bill had spent the last several nights talking with Jessica. Sharing with her what he'd been through, how he came to be still alive. Where he'd been living all of these years. She'd been furious of course, Bill had been prepared for that. Especially when he got to the part where Eric had known all along that he was still alive. Bill hadn't much choice when it came to that. He'd needed help and he knew Eric would be the person he could trust at the time, the person who wouldn't be emotionally involved. Bill knew he couldn't take that risk with Jessica, the risk that she'd let something slip around town or around Sookie. That she wouldn't understand his decision to disappear. Jessica had also been happy to see him, happy to know he was alive and well... once she got over the shock. The anger had come after that, but Bill knew she was working on it.

"I hope you're right. She needs to know what's coming. I told her I would be here, or that she could call you when she's ready to talk. I hope that's okay."

"It's fine, Bill. What else could you have done? I'm sure she'll be calling." Jessica nodded her head, her arm linking through his as she led him towards the living room. He had been surprised to see this room hadn't changed a whole lot, the fireplace glowed with fire and the furniture was comprised of mostly the same furniture that he remembered. There was a new television over the mantle, but Bill could understand that. Technology was forever changing and improving, of course Jessica would be keeping things up to date.

"Now," She continued as they both settled onto one of the couches, "You never finished telling me about what happened when you were in Morocco."

Bill smiled at that, knowing that this was Jessica's way to distract him, a way to pass the time while he waited and hoped that Sookie would reach out to him.

xx

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><p>xx<p>

Sookie was in shock, tears falling freely as she listened to the man on the other side of her door. She couldn't believe it... she couldn't believe that he was standing there, that he was alive, that was too much for her to handle. A part of her was curious, needed to know how this was possible, but the rest of her was paralyzed with shock and a degree of fear. She wouldn't say she was afraid of Bill exactly... but she wasn't sure if she trusted that it really even was Bill. She'd watched him die. She'd been covered in his blood when he'd met the true death at both of their hands. She had walked away from his remains in the coffin where he had been determined to die.

But then... then to tell her that they had something important to discuss, that he wouldn't have come if it weren't important. What was that supposed to mean? He had sounded sincere, that he was truly worried about something, but she'd been unable to move.

It wasn't until his footsteps had made their way off of her porch that she had been able to force herself to stand, to peek out from behind the curtain to see if he was really there. Unless her eyes were going crazy with the rest of her mind, he was real. Even the back of his head looked familiar, the way his hair came to a little point at the nape of his neck when it was cut short, the way his broad shoulders looked in what she guessed was a Henley style shirt. The quick glimpse was all she could handle and she was once again sinking to the floor in a mess of emotion.

Sookie cried until she didn't think she had any tears left, and after dragging herself to the couch, she cried some more. She was back in that day, that horrible, horrible day when Bill had vanished from her life for good. She hadn't wanted to do it, she still had a hard time believing she'd been able to do it... and frankly, she was still sort of angry that Bill had even asked her to kill him in the first place. Her last memory of him was his death, that in itself had been something very difficult for her to deal with. She still believed that his infection, the one that she had given him, had affected his thinking... that it had led him to a place where he thought dying was the only way they could both be free.

He had been correct, to a degree. If he had lived, Sookie wouldn't have been able to stay away from him, she loved him too much for that. She wouldn't have married her husband, her normal human husband, she wouldn't have her beautiful children. Until tonight, she had tempered the pain of losing Bill with all of the gifts his death had given her... but if he'd been alive all this time... It made her feel hollow, that her life was a lie. She felt tricked and manipulated, and really fucking pissed.

The anger made her feel better, it took the edge off of the hurt and the shock. Anger had always been an easier emotion to hold onto. If this was really Bill, and part of Sookie really hoped it was, he had lied to her in a way so much worse than any of the lies that had come before. It made her want answers, she was going to demand answers and then she didn't want to think about Bill Compton ever again. At least that's what she told herself, unwilling to think beyond her anger right now. If she focused on being angry then she could pretend she wasn't falling apart.

Sookie did her best to pull herself together, her anger and pride taking over the despair she'd initially been feeling. The sadness was still there, it was always there, but she could push it aside with this renewed determination. By the time Sam arrived with the kids, Sookie was ready to face them without fear that she would again crumble to pieces.

"Mama! Mama!" Charlie greeted her as she opened the door for Sam. He practically leapt from Sam's arms and into hers.

"Hi my sweet boy, Mama missed you." She hugged him, his chubby arms gripping her neck. She took a step back to allow Sam and Adele, who was patiently holding Sam's hand, into the house. "Hi sweetheart. Did you have fun at Uncle Sam's house?"

"Yeah. We played with Maya's new dolly and got to have pizza for dinner!" Adele bounced into the house, a smile on her face.

"Ooh, pizza sure is yummy." She said before turning back to Sam and taking the diaper bag from his shoulder. "How were they?"

"Perfect, like always. I still don't know how your kids are so well behaved when mine would have destroyed the place in about ten seconds if we let them."

"It's their company manners," Sookie laughed. "Believe me, when it's just us at home, good behavior is much harder to come by."

She was kidding, mostly, since both Adele and Charlie were wonderful, but they both could have their moments... and they usually seemed reserved for Sookie.

"I think it's past somebody's bedtime." Sookie said as Charlie rested his head on her shoulder. "In fact, I think it's past two somebody's bedtimes."

"I don't wanna go to bed." She heard a little voice say from the living room.

"I know, but we've got a big day tomorrow, so it's time for upstairs. I'll be there in a minute to read you a story and help you brush your teeth."

She didn't get an answer, but Adele slowly made her way from the living room and dragged herself up the stairs with a sigh. Sookie couldn't help but smile at the dramatics of her oldest... she was going to be a handful as she got older.

"Sam, do you have to get home right away, or can you wait for me to put the kids to bed? I wanted to talk to you about something." Sookie needed to talk to someone about what had happened tonight and she knew she could trust Sam. She was keeping it together, but that didn't mean anything that had happened tonight made sense.

"Sure, Sook. I've got some time."

"Thanks, Sam. I'll be back down shortly."

With a nod, Sookie disappeared upstairs with Charlie. She went through the bedtime routine with both kids, getting into pajamas, brushing teeth and finally reading stories. She kissed them both goodnight, whispering how much she loved them. These moments were precious to her, fleeting ones when the only thing in the world was her children.

She found Sam on the couch in the living room, his eyes on the flickering TV screen. He turned when she walked in, his attention now focused on her.

"What's going on, Sookie? What's wrong?"

"Am I that transparent?" She said with a small smile, sinking into one of the chairs across from the couch.

"You hide it well, but your eyes are still puffy from crying. Too much time alone with your thoughts?"

"Actually... not tonight. I had a very surprising visitor, and I just... I don't know what to think, Sam." Sookie was trying her hardest to maintain her composure, to avoid breaking down again in a mess of tears. Tonight had taken a toll on her emotions and the extra roller coaster of pregnancy hormones was not helping.

"A visitor? What kind of visitor?" Sookie could see Sam's curiosity was peaked, his eyebrow raised in question.

"I don't know if I believe it myself, but there was a knock at the door tonight and... it... it was Bill."

"Bill?" Sam looked confused and Sookie could almost see his thoughts as he tried to figure out what she'd said. "Are you saying Bill? As in Bill Compton?"

Sookie could only nod, as this was somehow more real now that she was saying it to someone else.

"Bill Compton who died, what almost ten years ago?"

"Eight actually, but yes. Bill Compton knocked on my door tonight and it's impossible."

"I don't understand. What did he say, did he explain?"

"I don't quite understand it myself... and I was too shocked, too upset to talk to him. I just couldn't do it, Sam. I couldn't." There was no stopping the tears now, she shook her head as they started to fall. Sam was by her side in an instant, pulling her into a hug.

"It's okay, Sookie. What else could you have done? Of course it was a shock. Are you sure it was really him?"

"I know it sounds crazy, but I think it really was. I saw him die, Sam. I helped him die. Vampires don't come back from that. But it sounded like him, it looked like him. Who else could it have been?" She sniffled, her face a wet mess.

"There has to be some kind of explanation. Did he say anything? Why he came?"

"He just said that we needed to talk, that it was important. He said he was sorry for coming back."

"I don't know what to tell you... Though we have seen some very impossible things over the years, haven't we?"

"I guess so... it's just... I hate feeing like this. I'm so sick of crying, I'm sick of being sad and... and lost. Things were getting better, just a tiny bit and now this. I don't know if I can handle it, Sam."

"Sookie, you are one of the strongest people I know. You have lost more than most and been through so much, but you always come out on the other side. You are a fighter, you always have been. I know it hasn't been easy, but don't ever think you can't handle whatever life throws at you. Plus, you've always got us to lean on and Jason and Arlene and Jessica and Hoyt... Wait a minute, did you talk to Jessica? Does she know about this?"

"He said he was staying with her, so I'd assume she knows. She'd know if it were really Bill, wouldn't she?"

"She would... and she might even suggest that you needed a night to yourself tonight."

"What?"

"She came by the bar the other day. She mentioned that you'd started back to work and might need a night to yourself. I thought it was a good idea, so I didn't think anything of it."

"You think she planned this? With Bill?" Sookie didn't know if she should be furious or freaked out... why was this happening?

"I suppose it makes sense. If Bill really needed to talk to you, I can't come up with a way for him to come back without upsetting you. I guess it was probably better that you didn't have Adele and Charlie around."

"I can see your point, maybe. But I still don't like this... He needs to explain, and it better be a damn good explanation." She crossed her arms over her chest, letting that anger take the lead again.

"I know you and Bill have been through a lot, and how things ended was really hard for you, but if he is here to talk to you about something important, I'd believe him. He may be a vampire, but one thing Bill Compton always cared about was protecting you. He wouldn't have come back into your life without a good reason."

"I hope you're right, Sam. I guess I have no choice, I'm going to have to talk to him. But I can't do it tonight, I can't."

"I'm sure that will be okay. You're allowed to take some time with this. Do you want me to be with you when you talk to him?"

"Thanks, but no. This is something I have to do myself. I could use some help with the kids, though, if it's not too much trouble? Maybe after they go to bed tomorrow night?"

"I'm sure we can handle that. Nicole or I will come over and stay with them. If you need anything else, just let me know."

"Thank you, Sam. I just appreciate you listening to me. I felt like I was going crazy earlier. It helped to talk, even if I still have no idea what's really going on. You best get on home, now. Nicole is probably waiting." Sookie stepped away from him towards the foyer.

"You sure? I don't mind hanging around for a bit... You've done the same for me when I needed it."

"I'm sure. I'm just going to crawl into bed and pretend none of this happened. I'll think about it more tomorrow."

"Okay, Sookie. But if you need anything..."

"I'll call. Don't worry." Sookie finally reached the door in the slow shuffle they had been doing in that direction. She pulled it open for Sam, mustering up a smile for him. She felt like a ping pong ball, bouncing between all of her different feelings tonight. She needed some quiet and some time for it all to settle down.

"Give me a call tomorrow and let me know what time you need us."

"I will...oh, and Sam, could you just sort of keep this between you and me for now? Until I know what's going on, I'd rather this wasn't public knowledge."

"Sure, I can do that. 'Night, Sookie."

"Goodnight, Sam. Thanks for everything tonight."

With a smile and tilt of his head, Sam made his way out of the house and towards his truck. Sookie closed the door behind him, watching as his taillights disappeared down the long driveway. She quickly locked up, double checking the locks and turned out the lights to head upstairs. Her relaxing night had most definitely not gone as planned. She was exhausted and anything but relaxed. Sookie already had a feeling that tomorrow night was going to be even more difficult., but Sam was right, she'd survived so much... she would get through this too, whatever this happened to be.


	3. Chapter 3

***Disclaimer*** No copyright infringement intended. These characters are exclusive property of Charlaine Harris, Alan Ball and HBO.

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><p>Bill paced the foyer, nervous and anxious as time ticked by at a crawl. He had been out on the balcony for awhile, but figured that it would make it seem like he was too eager or on the look out or something. But he wanted to be out there. He wanted to see her the second she was approaching. He wanted to be face to face with her, to talk to her... but he also wished he were as far from here as he could possibly be.<p>

Sookie had left a message with Jessica this afternoon. It was short and simple, she wanted to talk and she'd be coming by after her children were asleep. He'd listened to the message at least ten times, her voice sounding just the same... and not too happy about speaking with him. He was glad just to hear her voice, a sound he had dreamt of for years, and he was also glad that she'd agreed so quickly to talk to him. What he was going to say when she finally arrived, well, he still hadn't quite figured that out.

He knew she'd want answers, about why he wasn't dead and why he'd come back. He disliked the idea that he would be the bearer of bad news, the one to let her know that she was once again in danger. Though at least this time he didn't think she was in danger because of him, at least not directly the way she had been so much in the past. She was also going to have questions for him that he couldn't answer.

He continued his pacing in the empty house. Jessica and Hoyt had kindly agreed to make themselves scarce for this conversation. All Bill needed was for Sookie to finally arrive. Jessica explained that it would probably be near ten o'clock since that would give Sookie plenty of time to put the kids to sleep. Adele and Charlie, she had said were their names. She and Hoyt would babysit for Sookie on occasion and Jessica seemed quite fond of the little ones. Sookie as a mother was something else that had found it's way into his dreams. Dreams where their lives had gone differently... where they had their own children, where they were a family.

He pushed those thoughts away, this wasn't the time for dreams and fantasy. His life was never going to be like that, his chance for a family was long past. He'd done too many things wrong, hurt Sookie too many times. Bill's job now was to make sure that Sookie was safe, that she'd be able to keep living the life she had built with her children. He would do what he needed to do and then he'd go. He'd return to the solitary life he'd been living for these past eight years, a life not all that different from what he'd been doing before he'd met Sookie. He'd had some purpose then, in his undercover work for the AVL... but mainstreaming had turned out to be another dream, at least for him. His life now was even more empty, with a lot more painful memories, and his immortality a much greater burden than it had been before.

Bill was in the living room, staring absently into the flickering fire when the knock finally came at the door. If he'd been human, his hands would have been sweaty and his stomach in knots. He imagined Sookie was feeling similarly, though he got a distinct wash of anger that had to be coming from her as he approached the door.

He pulled it open and was unable to do anything else. He couldn't speak, he couldn't move. She was really there standing in front of him. Her dark eyes were wide, her expression one of shock. She appeared to be as stunned as he was now that they were finally face to face. She was beautiful, she'd always been beautiful, but she was even more so to his eyes tonight. While time had gone by, he had a hard time seeing more than a few subtle changes in her face. Bill knew he needed to say something, he needed to invite her in so they could talk, but he had a hard time forming the words. He didn't expect that talking to her through her front door yesterday was going to be so much easier than this.

"Sookie." He finally managed, taking a step back so she could come inside. "Thank you for coming." Bill fell back on formality, trying to figure out where to start this conversation.

"Is this real?" She said, hesitantly, her face a mix of emotions. She came far enough into the house so he could close the door. He could feel her eyes on him, searching for the truth. "How can this be real?"

"It's real, Sookie. I swear it. It's me."

"No." She shook her head, backing up a step. "You're dead, true death dead. I saw it... I... I did it. I watched you turn into nothing, I was covered in your blood."

"I know. I know what it seemed like, but something happened. Please, just let me explain." He reached for her, just to guide her towards the living room so they could sit, but she flinched away from his hand. He tried a different tactic, instead inclining his head towards the other room, his hands nowhere near her. "Let's sit down and I'll tell you everything."

"You tricked me, you lied to me. Why would you do that? How could you do that, after everything we've been through? You made me believe you were dead, that I'd killed you. You said you loved me. How could you be so cruel?" She was angry, and rightly so. Bill wasn't proud of how things had worked out, of the decisions he'd made leading up to that night... but he still believed that leaving had been the right choice.

"It wasn't intentional. I never meant to hurt you, it wasn't a trick."

"Then how? Vampires don't just come back from the true death."

"I do."

"What? What is that supposed to mean?"

"Let's sit and I'll tell you."

She eyed him, her dark eyes cold and shuttered, her arms crossed defiantly over her chest. If looks could kill, he'd have been dead all over again. But with a sigh, she relented and walked passed him into the living room to sit on one of the couches. He followed behind and sat across from her.

"Okay, Bill. Tell me. How does a vampire come back to life?"

"I don't know if I can explain exactly how, but I can tell you that it happens. You've seen it happen before. I died when I drank the blood of Lilith, but somehow, I came back."

"That was different, you were different... and I waited that night, a tiny part of me hoped that somehow, you'd come back again. I waited, heartbroken and surrounded by your blood and nothing happened. But you're trying to tell me that you really died that night? Then magically you came back to life?"

"Yes, Sookie. I died. I know it's hard to understand, and really, I don't know the mechanics of why it's happening to me, but I always come back. I think it's because of the Lilith blood, there's no other explanation, it is different than that first time, though. When I come back, I'm still just me."

"What do you mean you _always_ come back? It's happened again since then?"

He nodded his head yes, trying not to think of the other times he'd died. The way he'd tried again the very night he'd come back to life for the first time... only to be brought back again in that same place, as alive as he'd ever been as a vampire.

"I still don't understand. How could that happen? I buried you, they buried your coffin." He could see the confusion on her face, which was a little bit better in his eyes than the anger.

"It didn't happen right away, at least I don't think so." Bill remembered that night, he'd relived it so many times in his mind since that day. His body had been hurting so much with the infection and his heart was hurting even more knowing that he was saying goodbye to Sookie forever. The guilt of all the things he'd done weighed on him. All he'd wanted in that moment was for it to end, for his pain to stop and for Sookie to be free of him and the suffering he'd brought into her life. He had been so blinded by his pain, that he hadn't realized until afterward how selfish he had been in asking Sookie to be the one to kill him. Once she'd decided to not use her light, he should have stopped her, he should have done it himself, or waited for the sun to rise. "No matter when I die, it seems that it's not until the next evening, after sunset that I come back. I don't know why... and it's always in the same place, out in the woods not far from here."

"You come back in a pool of blood somewhere in the woods?" She was very skeptical, her eyebrow raised.

"There is no pool of blood, just me." The first time it happened, Bill had been left so confused. He remembered what had happened in the cemetery, Sookie over him with a stake in hand. The pain as it plunged into his heart. The pain faded to nothing for just a moment and then came roaring back, more painful than anything he'd felt before. When it finally ebbed, he was on the ground, grass beneath his naked body. He couldn't believe it himself at first, he thought that maybe it was a hallucination and he had not yet met Sookie in the cemetery... or it was some version of hell. He came back to life naked in the woods, with no idea what was happening. Once he had his bearings, he recognized the clearing in the woods- a clearing that was less than half a mile from his home and the cemetery where he'd died.

Nothing made sense, but in an effort to figure out what had happened, he'd quietly made his way back towards the cemetery, listening for the sound of anyone else nearby. The cemetery was where he went first, since that was what he remembered last. His grave was there, covered in fresh dirt. The moon was still low in the sky, telling him that it was early in the night. It couldn't have been more than a day or two since he'd died, based on what he saw... but how? What happened to him in the hours in between his death and resurrection, he still couldn't figure out. "I wake up naked and healed from whatever had harmed me... always back here, no matter where I die."

"I don't believe this, it's impossible..." She was shaking her head. "But here you are, right in front of me."

"I didn't believe it myself, not at first. I met the sun the morning after this first happened, not believing that it was real, not knowing what was happening to me. I burned, Sookie. I died. Only to find myself once again alive after the sun went down."

"So... somehow, by some _miracle_, you were alive, but you still left. You knew that I loved you, that I wanted to be with you, but you still left."

"I had no choice, Sookie. It was what was best. You needed to move on with your life, to be happy." He needed her to understand, he wanted her to understand. His choice had been for her, everything had been for her.

"And you get to make that decision for me? I wanted _you_, Bill. I needed y_ou_. But you thought you knew what was right for me... and you ran away." She was angry, almost spitting the words at him. Her anger lit a fire in her eyes, but he could also see wetness shimmering in them both.

"I'm sorry, I know that doesn't help, but I am sorry. I loved you, I can't not love you but I didn't want to hurt you anymore, all I would have given you was more pain. After that night, as far as everyone was concerned, I was dead. I thought it best that things stay that way."

"Why are you back now?" She crossed her arms over her chest again, that defensive posture back in full force. "I was happy, I have built a good life without you. You said you don't want to hurt me, this is doing nothing but hurting me."

"I know, and I wouldn't have come back, but..."

"But my husband died and you thought it'd be a good time?" Her voice was heavy with sarcasm and disdain. Somehow that was easier for him to handle. He could take her being mad at him, it was the threat of tears, the pain in her eyes and the pain in her heart that was killing him.

"What? No, it has nothing to do with... I didn't know until I arrived just a few days ago that anything had happened." He gestured with his hands, as if that could ease any of her suspicions. "I am extremely sorry for your loss, that you are going through such a difficult time. I regret that I am only adding to it. But that's not why I came."

"Then why? Why now after all of this time?"

"Because you're in danger."

"Danger? What do you mean I'm in danger? Where have you been all this time that you know I'm suddenly in danger?"

"I've been away, Europe mostly. I needed to keep the distance between us or I wouldn't have been able to stay away."

"What could possibly have happened in Europe that's put me in danger? I've never been out of the country, much less to Europe and I sure as hell haven't been involved with any sort of vampire anything in years."

"It's not vampires you have to worry about, Sookie. It's the fae."

XX

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><p>XX<p>

Sookie already was having a hard time with everything Bill had been telling her tonight, and now his claims that she was in danger, in danger from the fae had her head spinning.

"The fae? What... I don't... But how... I think I need a few minutes. Can I have a few minutes?"

"Of course. I know this is a lot. I could get you something to drink? Or I can just give you some space." Bill stood up, his face kind and apologetic. Despite all of the anger Sookie knew she'd been hurling in his direction, he'd been nothing but calm, trying his best to explain without making excuses. Sookie didn't know what she'd been expecting him to say tonight, but this definitely wasn't it.

"Thanks, but I think I just need the space part... just a few minutes."

"Sure. I'll be across the hall when you're ready." He gave her a nod before walking out of the room. He pulled the doors shut behind him, leaving Sookie really alone.

She still couldn't believe this was happening, that Bill had been sitting there in front of her. She'd gotten so used to the idea that he was dead, this seemed like a dream. While they'd been talking, she fought the urge to touch him, to see if he was really real... she'd also had the urge to slap him, but that was for different reasons. He looked the same, he was Bill. His hair was still cut shorter, the way she remembered it from those final days, but the stubble on his face reminded her of when they first met. He'd always been handsome, and all of the time he'd been gone hadn't changed that. His blue eyes were so intent on hers, a wide range of emotions played out on his face while they had been speaking.

Bill didn't let his feelings show often, but when he did, it was easy to see just what he was feeling. She knew this wasn't easy for him either, but she was too hurt, too angry to let that change her attitude. It wasn't enough to change the fact that he'd lied all this time. It also wasn't enough for her to drop her guard, the walls that she needed to keep herself from breaking down. She knew if she started crying in front of Bill, she'd never stop.

She found his story difficult to wrap her mind around. He'd died, but came back? He kept coming back? It had her curious just how many times he'd died since that night. How many times had he been in what was essentially her back yard, only to vanish again across the ocean because he couldn't bear to be near her. What about the Hepatitis V that had been ravaging his body before he died? He hadn't taken the cure, he refused the cure... but he certainly didn't look sick in any way now. Focusing on all of these little details was helping a little, but she still had so many questions.

The one that worried her the most, though, was why she was in danger. If she was in danger, that meant her kids were in danger, her family was in danger. What would the fae want with her? Niall had stopped by to visit sporadically over the years, always for spaghetti and to deliver cryptic wisdom, but never had he made Sookie feel like there could be trouble some day. If she was really in danger, why hadn't Niall come? What did Bill have to do with the fae?

She took a few more minutes, trying to think of all the things she did know about the fae, and how that could put her in danger. It was what she needed her mind on right now. She couldn't keep thinking about Bill and everything that went along with him coming back into her life. That was something she needed to think on more, but not until she was home and knew her kids were safe. She just hoped that Bill had more answers.

She found Bill staring out the window in what used to be his office, he didn't turn when she stopped in the doorway, but he must have heard her coming. "Bill?" She said softly to get his attention. "I'm ready to keep talking."

He turned slowly, an unreadable expression on his face that shifted into something neutral before Sookie could really analyze it. "Okay."

They went back across the hall, settling onto the same couches they'd each been sitting on before. There was so much distance between them, but Sookie needed it to be that way. She'd always love Bill, but their time together was over long ago. She was still at war with herself though, because that part of her that still loved him wanted to grab a hold and never let go... but the rest of her knew that was a very bad idea, that they couldn't undo this hurt, they couldn't undo the last eight years.

"How do you know this about me being in danger? About the fae?"

"I met your grandfather, Niall. Or I suppose he met me. He was waiting outside of my home when I arrived one evening a couple of weeks ago."

"Niall? Why would he tell you? Why wouldn't he have come to me?"

"That, I'm afraid I can't answer. I didn't believe him at first when he said he was related to you, but I could smell it. His faeness, but also something that smelled like you."

"What did he say to you?"

"He warned me that you were in danger. That I had to come back here and protect you."

"You specifically? What does this all have to do with you?"

"I'm still working on that, I'm afraid. He did say that the fae have been at war, that Queen Mab had changed her plan for closing off fairy from the human world. Instead of harvesting and staying away, she wanted to take it back."

"Take it back? How can she take it back?"

"The legend is that a very long time ago, the fae ruled this plane. That they were the ones in charge, the dominant species. Humans existed, but were essentially a lower class. When the vampires came, it changed everything. It forced them to hide, to leave this place for the humans. My best guess is that she wants to return to those days."

"But the vampires are still around, aren't there more vampires now than there were before? Mainstreaming has taken off, it's working. How could she even think the fae could take over?"

"That's where you come in. From what Niall said, you and he are the last of your line. Your blood, your faeness is different. Mab wants to use you."

"Use me? For what?" Sookie didn't understand. She wasn't that special. She certainly couldn't help take over the world.

"I don't know. I'm sorry. That's all I was told. That they would be coming for you by the end of this month, and I needed to get here to protect you."

"I still don't get what this has to do with you, why does it have to be you who protects me?"

"I'm afraid I don't have as many answers as I'd like, Sookie. Your grandfather wasn't exactly the easiest to talk to, he is very... cryptic."

"Tell me about it." She muttered under her breath, frustrated that she still had so few answers.

"He said there was something about our blood, the blood that we've shared... that I have to be here. I'm still not sure if I believe him about that, but I wasn't willing to risk your life on it. I had to come back."

Sookie didn't know how to feel about all of this. She was certainly worried, in addition to being angry and upset and a million other feelings. A part of her was also starting to understand why Bill had made the choices he made. He had come back, what he knew was going to be a very difficult experience for everyone, to protect her.

"If you died, Bill... but came back somewhere else. What happens to your body, your blood? Is there even a connection between us anymore... I mean, you said it was gone after what happened with Lilith. Isn't you dying sort of the same thing?"

"There's still a connection, Sookie." He said, his voice low, _Sookie_ coming out in the way he used to say it, the way that made her body tingle. "I don't know why, but I can still feel you."

"Oh. Well... I guess that's good? For if I'm in danger."

"I'll be able to feel it if you're in danger. To find you if something happens. Maybe that's what Niall meant? Though there are other vampires who could serve the same purpose." Bill didn't say it, but they both knew who he was thinking of. Sookie had drank Eric's blood several times in the past. Though she hadn't spoken to him in years, she knew that he still spent time in Shreveport, checking in on Fangtasia from time to time.

"What are we supposed to do now? Just wait for someone to try and kidnap me? Or hurt my kids? You know I can't just sit around and wait."

"We have to come up with a plan, a way to keep you and your children safe. Niall seemed to think that there was time, that they wouldn't come for you right away."

"Gee, that's very reassuring. How are we supposed to know when that time is over?" Sookie could see the answer on Bill's face before he said it. She held up her hand to stop him. "You don't know. I get it. Niall isn't exactly the most forthcoming when it comes to answers."

"I do think you are still safe for right now, even if danger is coming. This is a lot to take in, a lot of new information. I should see you home and we can talk again after you've had some time."

Sookie was surprised by Bill's declaration that their conversation was over. He was right that her mind was overloaded with everything he'd told her, but she wasn't quite ready to leave yet. Being here with him was surreal, but despite her anger at him, there was something comforting about it. That alone should be enough to get her going home. She didn't need to be having any good feelings around Bill, her life was confusing enough already.

"Yes, I think that's a good idea. I should be going. I'll... I'll call you?"

"I'll walk you, just in case."

"No, really. It's fine. It's a short walk. It's not like I haven't done it a million times before." She said, knowing that a walk with him in the dark through the cemetery was the last thing she could handle tonight. She was up and heading for the front door before he could protest further.

"Sookie, it could be dangerous." He was next to her as she reached for the door handle.

"You just said you think I'll be safe still. I walked over here by myself. Sam will be waiting for me at the house. It's okay." Sookie did her best to convince him. She had to do this by herself. "You'll feel it if something happens, right? You won't be far away."

She touched his shoulder then, just a light touch meant to reassure. It turned out to be a very, very bad idea. She snatched her hand away, wrenched open the door and ran out into the night.


	4. Chapter 4

***Disclaimer*** No copyright infringement intended. These characters are exclusive property of Charlaine Harris, Alan Ball and HBO.

* * *

><p>Sookie finally slowed once she was most of the way through the cemetery. She still couldn't quite explain what had happened when she'd touched Bill, but it had scared her. Her breathing was heavy, so she took her time getting the rest of the way home, her fears about what was out to get her forgotten momentarily. Her time with Bill had already been fraught with emotion, their conversation leaving her with more questions and uncertainty. But when she touched him... just the brief contact, it had jolted her, almost like electricity. Only the current carried far more than a shock, she felt pain and loss in that split second, his pain. It was overwhelming, and that was only after a second. She didn't understand it, why she had felt his emotions when they'd touched. Sookie had tried to read his mind when he first opened the door, the way she had when they'd last been together, but it was like before, that she could hear nothing from him.<p>

Sookie knew Bill had always been tormented, how hard it had been when he'd lost his family... when his life had been stolen from him. She knew how much guilt he carried over the things he'd done since being made vampire, but if she'd just glimpsed how he really felt, she'd very much underestimated all that he'd been through. It wouldn't make her forget her anger and upset over his return, though it did temper it a little. She already had a lot to think about, and this was just one more thing to add to the pile. She sighed heavily as she reached her front door. _What happened to my simple life? _

Sam was on the couch, an old movie flickering on the TV in front of him. He turned when she came in, standing up to greet her.

"Sookie, how'd it go?"

"I don't know... about as well as it could have I suppose? I still don't know what to think."

"Was it really him?"

"Yeah, it's him. It has to be him. He came back to life, Sam, like for real."

"What do you mean came back to life?"

"He died, he told me he really died that night, but somehow he came back to life, well vampire life anyway."

"How can that happen? I've seen vampires die... it looks pretty final to me."

"I don't know. Bill didn't even seem to really know why it happened that way, but that's what he said happened. That it's happened again since then."

"Do you believe him?"

That gave Sookie pause, she had gone to Bill's full of mistrust, but when he'd been explaining to her what happened, she had believed him completely. "As far fetched as his story is, it just feels like the truth... I don't know why, but I believe him. Maybe I'm a fool."

"Come on, Sookie. You have to trust your instincts more than that, I know you think they've let you down before, but sometimes you gotta trust your gut."

"I guess I don't have much choice. Either I believe him or I don't... but Sam, it was so weird to see him, to be in the same room with him. He's exactly the same, down to the way he smells."

"I can't imagine how hard it must have been, after you'd thought he was dead all this time."

"Ugh, it's too much for my brain tonight." She shook her head, unable to keep talking about this. Fatigue had been plaguing her for months and it was even worse tonight. "How were the kids?"

"Fine, I didn't hear a peep. Nothing to worry about there."

"Good, I'm glad you didn't have an endless quest for drinks of water." She smiled, thinking of those nights when Adele just wouldn't go to bed.

"Nope, perfect sleeping angels all evening."

"Thanks for your help tonight. I couldn't have done this without it."

"No problem, Sookie. You need anything else, you can always call me. Sure you don't want to talk more?"

"No, I've used you enough as my sounding board lately. You get on home and we'll be in touch. I'm going to bring the kids by for lunch later this week. They miss their uncle Sam."

"Alright. Goodnight. We'll talk soon."

"Definitely, thanks again!" Sookie watched as Sam headed for his truck, so thankful to have solid friends to lean on. She would have never imagined ten years ago that this would be her life, back when she was just a waitress. She knew she needed to see if she could get more information from Niall, she needed to know what she was up against and why, but she was just too tired tonight.

Seeing Bill, talking to him, looking into those blue eyes... it had been a drain on her emotions. All she wanted was to check on her kids and fall into bed. She did double check the locks on all of her doors first, though.

XX

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><p>XX<p>

Bill watched in shock as Sookie sprinted away from him, surprised at her sudden exit. He knew she didn't want him to walk her home, but something had happened when she'd touched him. At least that's what it looked like from where he had been standing. The look on her face, the way she turned away... she couldn't get away from him fast enough. He wished he knew what had happened. Their conversation had gone better than he'd expected, but he was even more worried now.

He hadn't known before, and he didn't notice when she'd first arrived... his senses had been too overwhelmed with everything about her, but after they had started talking, it dawned on him what was different about how she smelled. Not only had she lost her husband, to raise her two children alone, but she was pregnant. He knew Sookie had children, he had wanted that for her, it was something that he hadn't been able to give her when they were a couple. Knowing that she'd had children, that her husband had been with her to support her was very different than knowing she was again with child and it was now his responsibility to keep her safe.

He would give his life for her pregnant or not, even if he weren't immortal, but he knew that was going to make this even more complicated. He still loved her, not that it had ever been a question for him. Seeing her again made it clear just how much time had not helped him move forward. He had told her once that he would love her forever, even if that meant they couldn't be together... he'd known long ago that it was the truth. It made his chest ache to be so close to her, yet unable to be with her. It was what had spurned him on to be more careful with his life. He had been very reckless at first, once he had left Bon Temps for good.

After realizing his death in the cemetery hadn't worked, he'd tried again. He met the sun ready for his life to finally end... wanting Sookie to live the life she deserved and for him to be able to find some sort of peace in death, the death he should have died a hundred years before. Of course things had not quite worked out that way. Instead, he'd been left naked and assumed dead. Luckily, Jessica had not yet done anything with the house, so being very careful, he was able to access some of his wardrobe before leaving for good. He took nothing more than the clothes he could wear, not wanting to raise suspicion... and needed to find someone he could trust to help him leave the area. His accounts had all been transferred to Jessica, since at the time, he had no reason to think he'd need money where he was going. She would notice if some had gone missing. Instead, he turned to the one person he knew would keep his secret, Eric.

The Viking vampire had been quite surprised to find Bill waiting in the office at Fangtasia that night. Luckily, the club still remained closed, the damage from the hep V vampires still un-repaired. Bill had taken a risk, since he had a feeling Pam would not be so keen to keep his secret, but Bill had nowhere else to turn, not for what he needed. He could still remember the look on Eric's face, and it was one that always made him smile. Very little surprised Eric at his age.

"Rumor has it you're dead." Eric had deadpanned, attempting to cover his surprise.

"It didn't take... twice." Bill responded, shrugging a shoulder, his expression as bland as Eric's. Of course he had no idea why things had happened the way they did, but he didn't have time to figure that out at the moment.

"How?"

"I don't know, but as far as Sookie and everyone else is concerned, I've met the true death."

"How much do you need?" Eric didn't require much in the way of explanation, he knew exactly why Bill had come to him.

"Enough to get across the ocean, to disappear."

"You could go back to her, she'd welcome you with open arms."

"You know I can't do that. Sookie needs to be free. I may not be dying anymore, but the darkness we bring into her life has not changed."

Eric had only nodded, knowing that Bill was right. Despite the animosity that had existed between them over Sookie, Bill knew that Eric understood what was happening, that he understood what was best for Sookie. In another life, he and Eric could have probably been friends, they had been off and on for years, but something always seemed to get in the way. They always made a good team when they'd been forced to work together. That was the reason Bill knew he could come to Eric with this.

"I'll be expecting 20% interest." Eric had moved to a painting on the wall, revealing a safe behind it.

"Of course." Bill had expected nothing less from Eric. The favor involved in this transaction wasn't the money, it was the silence. Eric pulled several stacks of bills out of the safe.

"That should be more than enough to get you where you need to go."

"Yes, more than enough."

"Anything else?" Eric asked, an eyebrow raised.

"No, I think that will be all. I appreciate your assistance." Bill locked eyes with Eric as he expressed is gratitude, the both of them knowing what the other was leaving unsaid.

"I expect to collect on the favor someday."

"Certainly. Goodbye, Eric."

Bill took the money that was offered, and with little more than an exchange of nods, he disappeared into the night.

He was careless in the beginning, not of being exposed or noticed, he was careful about that, but he was reckless when it came to his own safety. Picking fights with other vampires just because, cutting things a little too close to dawn. He did save the violence for vampires, particularly the ones who took pleasure in tormenting humans, in being terrible creatures. It sated his internal turmoil just a little, and it made Bill feel like he was doing something good, even if it was only for a moment. If he died, he figured either he would come back to life again somehow, or he'd finally be able to move on from this world. At least that was his attitude until it happened again for the first time. He had been in London, in an area where he used to hang out. The scene had changed quite a bit since then, gone were the punk bars, replaced instead with the newest music craze. The dark alleys and underground bars still made a good hunting ground for vampires.

He started a brawl, not intentionally, but that's what it had escalated to. He'd been reveling in the fight, in the violence... the chance to release some of his pent up frustrations amidst a group of vampires who weren't exactly on their best behavior. Bill wouldn't say he'd been having fun, but it was a good distraction until a lucky hit connected wood with his heart. The pain of death wasn't so bad, and staking was quicker than burning in the sun... but the pain when he came back, that part was the hardest, his whole body hurt. Discovering that he was back in Bon Temps, back in the same spot where he had come back to life before was even worse. Once he'd recovered from his resurrection, she had slammed into him. She could have been next to him for how keenly he could feel her emotions, her presence. It had been too much for him to bear.

He left Bon Temps as quickly as he could, glamouring some clothes out of a bachelor living on the edge of town. Thankfully, he wasn't left penniless this time. While he hadn't expected to wake up back in Louisiana, he knew that if he died, there might be no telling where he would come back. Computer access and his memorized credit card number were enough to get him back to what was serving as home at the time.

Not wanting to experience that again, Bill had grown more cautious. Choosing his battles more wisely, reigning in his behavior. It worked, mostly... He was finding a way to get by until Sookie had lived her life. His visit from Niall threw quite a wrench into that plan. Now here he was, across the cemetery from the love of his life... only causing her more pain.

He didn't like the way she had run from him, she had seemed almost scared in the final moment. He would know if she were in danger but he was still nervous about her being out in the night alone. Bill followed her, taking the path she likely took between their homes. He listened for her, could smell her faintly. He also looked for any signs of other fae, of danger to Sookie. He reached the tree line near her house just as she was opening her front door. She was home safe, that was the important part. Not much later, the door opened again and Sam came down the steps, Sookie had mentioned he was there to watch the kids. Bill found that somewhat amusing, Sam Merlotte, babysitter. He was glad to know that Sookie still had good friends to lean on. He and Sam might not have always got along, but Sam was a good man. They had worked together to protect this town more than once and Bill had grown to respect Sam.

Bill stayed for awhile, checking the perimeter around Sookie's house, looking for any sign that others had been there. He watched as the lights slowly clicked off through the house. He could imagine Sookie getting ready for bed, kissing her sleeping children goodnight before settling into her bed alone. He wished he knew what to do next.

Niall had told him _he_ was necessary to protect her, but he still hadn't quite figured out what that meant. He could stand guard over her home, he could watch for any sign of danger, but what was so special about him being there? He couldn't even protect her during the daylight. What he really needed was more information, Sookie needed more information. Perhaps Sookie could reach out to Niall somehow, get a better explanation about what was really going on. Bill had knowledge of the fae, but this was beyond the old lore.

Bill had already decided that he was going to leave the next step up to Sookie, for now. He would do everything he could to keep her safe, but he didn't want to push her... not after the conversation they'd had tonight. Knowing that Sookie wasn't one to sit around and not take action, he had a feeling he wouldn't be waiting long for her to get back in touch with him. She would want to come up with a plan, she wouldn't just wait for something bad to happen. At least he hoped she was still that woman... the strong willed, independent woman who had challenged him in the best of ways, a woman who had been willing to do anything for the people she cared about.

He grew still, lost in thought, his eyes on the house. The rest of his senses were on alert for any movement, any new scent... any hint of someone or something else lurking near Sookie's home. For tonight, he felt that it was all he could do- make sure that she and her children were safe for at least one more night.

XX

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><p>XX<p>

Sookie was off her game all day at work, her mind reading abilities kept managing to backfire on her as she worked with a new client. By the end of the afternoon, she was very glad she had such a good performance record to fall back on. She didn't think she'd completely alienated the young couple who was looking for a home to buy in the area, but she knew she hadn't impressed them with anything just yet. She was more than glad to be done for the day, eager pick up her children and wipe away her bad day.

During the last few nights, sleep hadn't been easy in coming. She'd still been struggling to put together the pieces of everything Bill had told her, not only about why and how he was still alive, but also about how she was once again in danger. She started off each night hopeful, able to fall asleep after a short period of tossing and turning, but the mornings were the worst. She found herself waking shortly before dawn each day and struggled to get back to sleep for those final morning hours.

She needed to see Bill again, even if it was easier to try and pretend that he hadn't come back into her life. He had come back because of her, to protect her which left Sookie without much option but to talk to him. She needed a plan, she needed to feel safe and was still trying to puzzle out how to make that happen. She didn't know enough about the fae, probably because she'd tried to stay away from anything supernatural once she'd decided she was going to live a normal life. She should have asked Niall more questions, she should have pushed him to teach her more about what being fae really meant. A handful of vague comments did nothing to prepare her for whatever this was. Sookie still didn't understand why Niall had gone to Bill instead of just coming here. She'd been thinking over everything, but that was something that she kept coming back to. Why Bill, after all this time?

Her pondering of the situation was cut short as she walked into the sitter's house. Sookie had been lucky to find a reliable sitter for Adele and Charlie. One of the teachers from the school had retired early and now ran an in home daycare. She was flexible and very understanding, in addition to having a reputation for being one of the best teachers at the school. The children adored her and Sookie felt so much better knowing they were in good hands.

"Mommy!" She heard Adele say from the other room, followed by the patter of little feet running to greet her.

"Hi baby," Sookie said as Adele appeared in the foyer. She knelt down and opened her arms to hug her daughter. She inhaled the sweet scent of Adele's hair, baby soap and cookies. Going to work was hard for Sookie, but this moment almost made up for it. She collected their things and a sleepy Charlie and made her way home.

After dinner Sookie debated what to do. She could wait until bedtime and talk to Bill after that, but she'd still need someone to stay with Charlie and Adele. Sookie wasn't willing to call on Sam for help yet again, so that left her with a dilemma. She couldn't really bring the kids with her, that just didn't feel right, but she also couldn't leave them alone.

Then it dawned on her, maybe she could ask Jessica. She hadn't seen the kids for awhile, but always seemed to love watching them. Of everybody in Bon Temps, Jessica would understand the most what Sookie was going through in adjusting to Bill's new existence... unless she'd known all along that he wasn't really dead. Sookie discarded that idea almost as quickly as it had come. Jessica had been with her in those first years after Bill's death. They had cried together, she had watched as Sookie suffered in her grief for Bill. She hoped that Jessica was a better friend than to let her suffer all that time needlessly. Jessica had also suffered the loss, and Sookie could see it day after day that the young vampire missed her maker. It must have been quite the shock for Jessica to find out that Bill was still alive.

Mind made up, she reached for her cell phone. Adele and Charlie were playing nicely together in the living room, an old Disney movie played on the television. Adele was quite partial to princesses at the moment. Knowing they would be occupied for a few moments, she stepped into the dining room to call Jessica, hoping that she would be home tonight.

"Hello." Jessica's voice came over the phone after a couple of rings.

"Hi, Jessica... um... how's it going?" She was nervous all of the sudden, even though she and Jessica had only grown closer over the years.

"Oh, you know, it's going. I guess. How are you?"

"Good, I mean as good as can be expected. I'm guessing Bill told you what's going on?"

"Yeah. I know it's kind of a shock and all, him being back. But he didn't have a choice."

"I know. That's sort of part of why I'm calling. Bill and I need to talk, we need to figure out a plan."

"He's here, do you want me to go get him?"

"No, that's okay." Sookie said in a hurry, still not quite ready to actually talk to Bill. "I actually had a favor to ask you, if you have a minute."

"Sure, Sookie. What can I do?"

"If you're not busy tonight, I was hoping you or you and Hoyt could come play with the kids while I talk to Bill."

"Oh, yeah. That'd be great. It's been too long since I've seen them." Jessica's voice went from wary to excited at the mention of seeing the kids and it calmed Sookie's nerves significantly.

"Who's on the phone, mommy?" Adele's little voice startled Sookie. She hadn't seen her leave the living room.

"I'm just talking to Jessica, she's going to come play with you for a little while, is that okay?" Sookie said, angling the phone away from her mouth.

"Auntie Jess? We're gonna go see Auntie Jess?" The little girl jumped up and down with excitement, already headed for the door.

"Sorry, Jessica, can you hold on one second?" Sookie said into the phone, knowing it was going to take a minute to calm down Adele so she could finish her conversation with Jessica.

"Sure, I'll be right here."

"Auntie Jess is going to come over here to see you and Charlie." The little girls face fell and Sookie could see her little lip start to quiver.

"But... But Auntie Jess lives in the big house, I wanna go play at the big house." Her eyes grew wet and her nose started to turn red.

"I know, honey, but we'll go visit Auntie Jess at her house another night. She's going to come here. Why don't you go back in by Charlie and I'll be there in just a minute."

"Sookie," Jessica's voice came over the phone. She had it tucked between her ear and shoulder as she reached to hug Adele. "They can come over here if you want, you know the kids are always welcome at our place."

Adele was still in tears, but for some reason actually followed Sookie's request after her hug. She trudged slowly back towards the living room, her shoulders slumped in disappointment.

"No, we couldn't impose, you know how much of a mess they can make and with... well... I mean with..." Sookie trailed off, not really sure what making her so nervous about bringing the children to Jessica's house. She didn't think Bill would hurt them or anything like that, but it just seemed... awkward.

"Sookie, it's be fine, I can clean at vampire speed, remember. And I know he's been gone for a long time, but he's still Bill. It's just Bill." Somehow, Jessica seemed to understand Sookie's hesitation, which made Sookie feel better. She didn't think this situation would ever not be surreal and weird.

"I know that, but... how are you so okay with this already?"

"Well, he's my maker... and he's alive. It also helped that I yelled at him a lot, but in the end, I'm just glad to have him back. I know this is even harder for you. I can't even begin to imagine what this has been like... but he's here because he loves you, everything he's done is because he loves you."

Sookie didn't know what to do with that, there was nothing she could do with it. She had never questioned Bill's love, even the times when she had good reason to. Love had never been the problem, it was everything else. She couldn't go there, not right now, probably not ever so she just sort of ignored what Jessica had said. Usually she appreciated Jessica's new found tendency to just say what was on her mind, but Sookie couldn't deal with it right now.

"Okay, If you're sure it's not too much trouble, we'll come to you. If you're sure."

"I'm sure, Sookie. We'd be happy to have you and the kids over for awhile."

"Thank you, Jessica. I really appreciate this. I'm thinking it will probably be about a half an hour?" Sookie mentally calculated how long it would take to pack up a bag of snacks and essentials for both kids and then get them buckled into the car. She might chance walking around in the night with just herself, but not with the kids.

"That sounds fine. I'll let Bill know you're on your way."

"Okay. See you soon." She tried to sound cheerful, upbeat, but she still couldn't help the nervous flutter in her stomach at the idea of seeing Bill again. She definitely wasn't going to get close enough to touch him, she'd learned that lesson already.

What she really needed to figure out was how she was going to keep herself and her kids safe... and what Bill had to do with all of this.


	5. Chapter 5

***Disclaimer*** No copyright infringement intended. These characters are exclusive property of Charlaine Harris, Alan Ball and HBO.

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><p>He was still nervous, though not as much as last time... He hoped the hardest part was over, at least when it came to the explanations and questions. Bill didn't for a minute think that Sookie wouldn't still have more questions about what had happened to him, but he did hope that she had the chance to think about everything he'd said... about why he'd let her believe he was dead all of these years.<p>

The voices of her children rang through the house at just that moment, reminding him again of why he'd made that difficult choice. Bill remained in the living room, behind closed doors, but he could hear the excitement of Sookie's daughter in seeing Jessica. He wanted to peek out into the foyer, curious for a closer glimpse of Sookie's son and daughter. Bill knew about them, that her oldest was a girl, named for her grandmother, her son was named Charlie. Jessica had only told him wonderful things about the children, and Bill was certain that had to do with what a great mother Sookie was. A part of him was eager to meet them, to find pieces of Sookie in their little faces... but he also knew that he had no place in their world. He hadn't been able to watch his children grow up, not even Jessica... it made him even more determined to protect Sookie. She would be there to watch her children grow, he was going to make sure of it.

There was a knock on the door as it pushed open, Sookie ready to join him. She gave him what he would call a half smile, before dropping her eyes and turning to close the door. He had stood when he heard them arrive, leaving them both standing, facing each other with so much awkward distance between them. It still shocked him to see her, to be so close to her. Dressed in jeans and a royal blue long sleeve shirt, with her hair pulled back in a pony tail, she looked not a day past the twenty five she'd been when they'd first met. He wanted to forget about everything and pull her into his arms... he wanted to touch her skin, to inhale her scent... feel her body against his. He shook those thoughts away, as they were inappropriate and impossible. They had much more important things to deal with, no matter how much he yearned for her.

"Please, let's sit." He finally managed to say, gesturing towards the couches. He wasn't sure where to start, so he hoped Sookie had some idea. She nodded and walked to the couch across from where he'd been standing. After how she responded at the end of their last conversation, Bill wasn't surprised that she seemed to want to keep some space between them.

"So..." She said, biting her lip... her face uncertain.

"So..." He answered, searching for something to say. "How has your week been?"

Bill thought maybe this conversation would get easier if they started with talking about something else. He missed the ease with which they used to talk. Even from the beginning, there had never been this awkwardness in their conversations... he wished there was a way to fix it, but he had a feeling that his eight year absence was something that would always leave a rift between them.

"Fine, a regular week, I guess. Aside from the extra looking over my shoulder." She shrugged, like it was no big deal. Bill could see otherwise, thanks to the dark circles under her eyes, the strain on her face.

"I'm sorry about that, you shouldn't have to spend your time worrying."

"It's not your fault, Bill. We might not know much about why I'm in danger, but I know the fae aren't after me because of you."

"That doesn't change the fact that they are after you."

"I know," She sighed heavily, leaning back as if a weight was pushing her even more into the couch. "What are we going to do? I can't live like this, I can't put my kids in danger. Who knows how many of them are out there, or when they are going to come for me."

"If it makes you feel any better, so far I haven't seen anything unusual. There hasn't been any hint of the fae in your woods since I've come back."

She watched him for a moment, a curious expression on her face. "You've been out there, haven't you? At night?"

He nodded slowly, embarrassed to admit that he's been spending his nights lurking in her woods. "I didn't know what else to do. I didn't want you to be unprotected in the night."

Bill was surprised when the anger didn't come, when she didn't seem upset by his presence near her home. Sookie had never liked feeling like she had to be protected, like her independence was being taken away. It was something that they'd fought about more than once when he'd been in her life. He hadn't expected her feelings to have changed much when it came to that.

"It's okay..." She must have noticed the apprehension on his face. "To be honest, I'm kind of glad to know that there was someone out there trying to keep us safe."

"I should have told you."

"I don't think I would have listened. I'm still trying to deal with all of this... but I can't just keep waiting around. What else can we do?"

"Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find any more information about what the fae want with you. But I thought maybe Niall might have some answers? Do you have anyway to get in touch with him?"

"Not really, I mean, I can try... but he doesn't quite carry a cell phone or anything like that. Do you think he has anything more to tell us?"

"I hope he does, since he didn't give me much to go on." Bill was trying to think of something... some way that they could get some answers about why Sookie was in danger, but aside from Niall, he kept coming up empty handed.

"I still don't understand why he came to you, why didn't he come and warn me? I'm the one that's in danger. Why does this have anything to do with you?" Sookie was growing more frustrated, Bill could see it as she gestured with her hands.

"That is something I really wish I knew, Sookie." Bill had spent many a night pondering that exact question. What was so special about him that he had to be the one to tell Sookie about this danger? Why did Niall make it sound like Bill was the only one who could save her?

"I will see if I can get in touch with Niall, but it might take a little while. What can we do in the mean time?"

"We can keep doing what we've been doing. You can try and live your life, take care of your children. I can be there once the sun goes down, watching the house, if you'd like."

"But that leaves all of the responsibility on you and I can't just sit around like a prisoner in my own home." She was getting angry now, a familiar fire glinting in her eyes.

"You shouldn't feel like a prisoner, Sookie. You should be able to go about your normal business, just with some extra caution, at least until we can get more information. I know it's not an ideal solution, but without having anything else to go on, I don't know how else to help."

"How can anything be normal when someone is out to kill me?" She stood up, pacing away from where they'd been sitting. The frustration and fear she was feeling hit Bill like waves and he wished for about he hundredth time in the last week that he could pull her into his arms... that he could hold her and tell her that things were going to be okay. He wished he could go back and have never left her. "Not that this is the first time I've had people out to kill me, but I'm seriously sick of it. First a serial killer, then that stupid queen of yours... not to mention all of the other assorted vampires who wanted to get their hands on me..."

Sookie trailed off as she paused in front of the fire place. Sookie may not be blaming him, but Bill knew that his presence in her life had lead to most of those people wanting to kill her. It all started with the Queen... Bill hadn't thought about Queen Sophie Anne in years, but she was just the right person to help them. Bill moved closer to Sookie, an idea that just might give them some answers taking form. The Queen may be dead, but her extensive collection of books, books filled with old myths and legends, were not.

"I can't believe I didn't think of this before." He said, stopping a few feet from Sookie. "I may have another way to search for some answers."

She turned quickly to face him. "What way?"

"Queen Sophie Anne, she was a lover of all things mythical. That's why she knew what you were, why she wanted you. She knew about the Maenad and who knows what else. She had a collection of books that I'm sure must have included something about the fae."

"But isn't she dead? What happened to her books?"

"Well, since I took over her position when she met the True Death, her possessions came to me." Bill was growing more hopeful as he thought about this. He knew that it could be a dead end, that the chances of Sophie Anne's books having anything about this particular situation involving the fae in them was slim, but it gave him a task. The waiting was the hardest part, for him and for Sookie.

"You have them? Where? Lets go see what we can find." Sookie turned, heading for the doors.

"Wait. I have them... had them, but they aren't here. Most of her things were never moved from New Orleans. They should still be intact and easy to access, but they are in New Orleans with an old friend."

Sookie visibly deflated with his words and Bill could see just how much she had been working to keep her composure, to put on a brave face during this visit tonight.

"I'm sorry." He moved closer to her again, standing to face her just in front of the double doors to the foyer. "I can have them sent here or I can go get them. I could be there before sunrise and back tomorrow night."

Forgetting himself, he reached for her. With just his hand, he touched her shoulder, wishing there was more comfort he could offer her.

"No, don't!" She practically screamed, flinching away just as they made contact.

He pulled his hand away, taking a step back to give her more space "I'm sorry." He found himself saying again. He shouldn't touch her... he knew he needed to keep his distance, but he couldn't help it. She needed support, she needed a friend. It killed him that he no longer qualified.

"No, it's... I'm.. it's fine." She stuttered out. Her dark eyes were searching his, confusion furrowing her brow.

"What? What is it Sookie?" Bill knew he had overstepped by touching her, but the way she looked at him was strange, she didn't seem upset or even angry. It had him very perplexed.

"I... when I touched you the other day... something happened."

"What do you mean something happened?"

"It was like a shock almost, like electricity. But then I could feel things, I could feel you. Not like your thoughts, but emotions. It was... well, frankly it sort of freaked me out."

Bill didn't know what to make of what Sookie was telling him, or what it meant, but he supposed it did explain her sudden departure the other night and her reaction to his touch right now.

"And it just happened again?"

"No, that's the strange thing. I expected it to... and part of why I've been trying not to get to close... but there was nothing."

"Are you sure what happened before really happened? That it wasn't just an overreaction to everything we'd talked about?"

She gave him a look, that one eyebrow raised _are_ _you kidding me_ look that he'd seen before when she thought he was saying something ridiculous. "It was real. I could feel what you were feeling..."

"But you didn't feel anything this time?"

"Nothing." She was watching him and not for the first time, he wished he knew what she was thinking. He could practically see the gears turning as she contemplated whatever had happened between them. She raised her hand, moving closer as if to touch him again... but stopped short. The awkwardness that had made their conversation so stilted earlier was gone, but there was a different kind of tension between them.

"Sookie..." He couldn't stop her name from escaping his lips, even if he didn't know what he was trying to say. Instead of thinking about it, he raised his hand to hers so they were touching palm to palm.

The earth didn't move, nor did Sookie... but Bill couldn't deny that he felt something. Touching her skin brought their connection to the surface. He could always feel her presence, but when they touched it was so much more. This was how it had always been for him though, ever since she'd had his blood. It was a connection that he often cursed, but that had also filled him with something hopeful in those dark days. Knowing that she was safe, knowing that she was happy, it soothed his own hurt just as much as the reminder of her kept his heart broken. Her eyes remained locked on his as they stood, hands touching... He let the feel of her wash over him, the tumult of emotions that she was sorting through were his to share.

"Mommy!" A voice yelled as the door swung open with a bang. The moment between them vanished as they both leapt away from each other.

XX

* * *

><p>XX<p>

Sookie had never been so grateful for an interruption as in that moment. She may not have got that jolt of emotion from touching Bill this time, but just that small contact between them was playing hell on her own feelings. She'd been ready to get completely lost in the blue of his eyes... everything in the past, everything bad between them faded away for those few seconds so it was just her and him.

"Adele, sweetheart, what is it?" She reached for her daughter, pulling her into a hug. She needed her, she needed this reminder of what her life really was. Sookie leaned back, letting go of Adele, but still staying crouched down at her level.

"I needed to show you the drawing I made with Auntie Jessica's new markers." The little girl smiled, proudly thrusting a slightly crumpled piece of paper at Sookie.

"It's beautiful." Sookie assured her, looking at the drawing more closely. It was a house with a tree in the yard and a family of people.

"That's our house. There's you and me and Charlie and daddy too. I know he had to go away, but I still wanted him in my picture." Adele looked at Sookie so sweetly after she finished explaining her drawing that it brought tears to her eyes.

"Daddy can always be in your pictures, baby, always."

"Who are you?" Adele said, turning away from Sookie, likely noticing Bill in the room with them. Sookie took a second to wipe her eyes, glad Adele had turned her attention to something else before noticing Sookie's tears. She then stood up to introduce Adele to Bill.

"My name is Bill. I'm friends with your mama." Bill said before Sookie could speak.

"Are you friends with Auntie Jessica too?"

To Sookie's surprise, Bill gave a small chuckle, smiling down at her inquisitive child. "You could say that. Jessica is my daughter."

"She is?"

"Yes. You can even ask her yourself."

Sookie couldn't do anything but watch this exchange between Bill and her daughter. Adele tended to have a wonderful affect on people and it seemed it worked on Bill as well.

"I've seen your picture, at our house." Adele went on and Sookie knew it was time to step in... before she said more than Sookie was comfortable with. It wasn't a secret that she still kept a picture of Bill, but she wasn't so sure how she felt about Bill knowing that little detail about her life.

"Adele, honey, why don't you take your picture back by Auntie Jessica and mommy will be there soon. I just have to finish talking with Bill."

"But I want to stay with you."

"There you are!" Jessica appeared in the doorway, looking just the slightest bit flustered. "You snuck away from me."

"I needed to show mommy my picture."

Jessica mouthed a silent "Sorry" over Adele's head and reached a hand towards her. "I see, that is very important. But lets go back in the other room and work on some more pictures. I want to show you what I was drawing."

"What did you draw?" She asked, taking Jessica's hand. Just like that, she had something new to think about and wanting to stay with Sookie was long forgotten. Sookie watched as the two of them walked hand in hand back to the other room where they were doing their coloring.

She turned back towards Bill, a bit embarrassed by the interruption, even if it had been a needed one.

"Sorry. She's at that age..."

"She's lovely." He interrupted, not allowing Sookie to apologize. There was a gentleness in his eyes, sadness as well. She knew how much he had lost, his daughter had only been a few years older than Adele when he'd left for war. Sookie couldn't imagine how she'd survive if she lost the chance to watch her own children grow up they way Bill had.

"Anyway, what were you saying before? That there might be some answers in New Orleans?" She said, wanting to move away from thoughts about children and the past.

"Oh, uh, yes." He said, taking a moment, as if he were clearing his head. "There might be some texts that can be useful, but I can't guarantee anything, this seems to be a very special circumstance and might not have anything written about it in human books."

"Anything has to be better than the nothin' we've got right now. If I try and get in touch with Niall, and you see if there's anything in those books, maybe we can find out what they want with me."

"I can go tonight... but that will leave you unprotected."

"I'll be fine. It's just one night." She waved a hand, hoping that if she acted like it wasn't a big deal, she'd start feeling that way. While it was a little unsettling on a personal level to know that Bill had been out there in the night watching her, knowing that he was there, that he was still going to be there made her feel safe. Maybe it would even help her sleep better knowing she wasn't the only one trying to keep herself and her children safe.

"Sookie, you know as well as I that a lot can happen in just one night. You could stay here, with Jessica."

"No..." It came out more forceful than she intended, so she took a breath before continuing. "I mean, I won't be chased out of my home, my kids need something stable right now."

"It's dangerous. The fae are not like vampires. There isn't anything to keep them out of your house, to stop them from attacking you."

"So what's to stop someone from coming in here? And really, you said it yourself, there hasn't been any sign of anything. The chances of something happening tonight are small."

"I still don't like it."

"We have to do something. If there is any chance those books have information, we need it. I can't just keep waiting around for something bad."

He watched her for a moment and Sookie knew he was trying to decide... that he was trying to figure out if there would be any convincing her otherwise. Hopefully he remembered that trying to change her mind in situations like this usually didn't work out in his favor. "Okay. I'll go tonight." Bill finally said. "But... if you won't stay here, maybe Jessica can watch over your house tonight."

"You don't have to..."

"Please, Sookie. I'd feel better knowing that someone is keeping an eye on things."

She didn't want to admit it, but she'd feel a little better, too. She hated this, she hated feeling like she couldn't take care of herself. She wanted to do it all on her own... That's what pushed her to stay in her home, to not readily take anyone's help. But part of her knew that was a mistake, especially with her kids involved. She had to protect them, and if Bill and Jessica were willing to help with that, she'd be stupid to keep refusing

"Okay," She said with a sigh. "If it's not too much trouble for Jessica."

"I'll talk with her, I'm sure it will be fine. I'll have to spend the day in New Orleans, but I'll be back as soon as I can after sundown tomorrow."

"While you're gone, I'll see if I can get in touch with Niall. Hopefully one of us will be able to find something useful. Will you let me know when you get back?"

"Of course. I should give you my number... in case anything happens."

"I guess that would probably be helpful. Then I don't have to keep bothering Jessica if I need to talk to you." Sookie found this conversation so strange. She could say that every moment with Bill had been strange, but it was just so... different. They used to be able to talk for hours, comfortable conversation without any pauses or uncertainty. Even in those final days before his death, despite his illness and all of the sorrow it brought, they had found sweet moments to spend together without this clumsiness of conversation. He had been so sick, but still filled with so much love and tenderness for her.

"Bill, what happened to your hep V infection?" She asked suddenly, her thoughts leading her to a completely different subject.

"Unfortunately, like most of the questions I'm sure you have, I don't know the answer to that. Whatever happened to me, it was just gone. I haven't had any symptoms since that day, even without drinking NuBlood."

"Oh." Was all she could say. She hadn't expected much more of an answer than that, but she had expected more than just "it was gone." None of this made sense, though this whole situation with Bill didn't make sense. She still hadn't quite wrapped her mind around his whole coming back to life over and over again thing, but she couldn't do much else besides accept it.

He had pulled out a cell phone, Sookie assumed to exchange numbers, so she reached for hers as well. She never again thought she'd have Bill's number in her phone, though she could remember programming it in her old phone that first time. She'd been giddy with excitement, her first real boyfriend's phone number.

Bill recited his cell number when she nodded that she was ready and she plugged it into her phone. She also gave him her cell phone number, since it had changed as her life had changed.

"Well... I guess that's it for now. I should round up the kids and get them home to bed."

"I'll let you know as soon as I know anything." Bill walked with her into the foyer, stopping at the bottom of the stairs. "Sookie."

His voice had her turning to face him again. "I know this isn't easy, but I'm glad you called tonight. We will find a way to keep you and your children safe."

"Thanks, Bill. I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay. Goodnight." He said with a nod of his head. Instead of going with her to find Jessica, Bill headed up the stairs. Sookie guessed it was to get whatever he needed for his trip to New Orleans, but she didn't feel comfortable asking. Instead, she was going to find Adele and Charlie and head home.

"Goodnight." She said in parting. She had to force herself to stop staring as Bill walked up the steps. He was still like a ghost to her, even when he was standing right there in front of her. She didn't think she'd ever get used to him being alive.


End file.
